The Jordanian navy displays drugs seized from a thwarted smuggling attempt through the Gulf of Aqaba. Photo: Petra News
The Jordanian navy displays drugs seized from a thwarted smuggling attempt through the Gulf of Aqaba. Photo: Petra News
The Jordanian navy displays drugs seized from a thwarted smuggling attempt through the Gulf of Aqaba. Photo: Petra News
The Jordanian navy displays drugs seized from a thwarted smuggling attempt through the Gulf of Aqaba. Photo: Petra News

Jordan's navy thwarts drug smuggling attempt from Red Sea


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The Jordanian navy on Monday foiled an attempt to smuggle drugs into the kingdom from the Red Sea, state media said.

The official Petra news agency said the navy responded after a boat was spotted entering Jordanian waters at dawn.

“Rapid response boats were sent immediately,” state television quoted a military official as saying. “The infiltrators escaped and after an extensive search, quantities of drugs were found.”

The agency carried photos of the seized drugs but did not mention their nature or quantity.

Jordan has a 24-kilometre coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba, north of Saudi Arabia and facing Israel and Egypt.

Seaborne drug trafficking is rare, as narcotics typically flow over the land border with Syria.

In August, Jordanian security forces arrested 28 people during raids in a lawless desert area near the Syrian border.

Large quantities of drugs, particularly Captagon, cross the Syria-Jordan border every year and travel hundreds of kilometres through Jordan into Saudi Arabia.

Captagon, an amphetamine derivative that is cheap to produce, has become the drug of choice in many parts of the Middle East.

Jordanian officials have increasingly accused pro-Iranian militias operating on the border in Syria of being major players in the Captagon trade, along with the Syrian military.

Last month, Jordan and the US along with other allied forces conducted joint exercises that included drills on border security.

Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

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3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The years Ramadan fell in May

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1954

1921

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Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

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Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

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Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

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Director: Ayan Mukerji

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Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
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Power: 659hp
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Price: On request

Updated: October 03, 2022, 2:42 PM`